Cut Planner / Guides & help

FREE WEB PLANNER / HELP

From your first input to the shop list.

Use this guide for the browser version of Cut Planner. The iPhone and iPad app has its own app support page; its menus and export controls can differ.

Hands Built Software · Updated October 31, 2026

Build a job with separate materials

Name the job, then enter the first material and its required finished cuts. Add repeated parts once and use Quantity for the number required. Use + Lumber or + Plywood / sheet to add the next material; switch between materials using their buttons under Job materials.

Keep different sizes, species, grades, and thicknesses separate. My stock matches material names exactly after ignoring capitalization and surrounding spaces; a plywood thickness or species difference still needs a different name. Review all materials, then click Generate complete job. Regenerate after changing requirements or available stock.

Choose and enter measurement formats

Settings changes the format used for cut dimensions, kerf, and sheet dimensions. Lumber purchasing-length controls use feet. Existing measurements are converted when you switch formats; you do not need to re-enter them.

Use a space between whole inches and a fraction, such as 27 1/2. Enter a whole number for Quantity. Fraction displays round to 1/64 inch; take measurements at the precision your work requires. Entering a value field selects its current value so typing replaces it. Leaving without typing keeps the original value.

Pick stock and a buying goal

Least waste considers every listed lumber length and compares total purchased length. One stock length restricts new purchases to the selected length. Lowest cost compares up to four selected, priced lengths; every selected length needs a positive price.

Choose price per stock piece or price per linear foot. A per-foot price is multiplied by the stock length, not the finished length you keep. Prices start blank. Missing optional prices do not prevent waste-based planning, but you need complete applicable pricing for a complete material-cost total. Supplier tax, delivery, labor, and other job costs are not included.

Choose Use my stock first to consider matching saved stock before ordering more. Add measured stock in My stock. To reuse a planned offcut, enable keeping offcuts and set a minimum useful size; mark the parent board or sheet complete before adding its offcut. Each saved offcut can be added once. Marking a board or sheet from saved stock complete removes that piece from My stock. Unchecking completion restores it when allowed. Merely generating a plan does not consume inventory.

Save jobs, then download a backup

Save job stores the entire job, materials, generated results, and cut progress in this browser. Reopen it using Open saved job. Save edits again when you want to keep them.

Download backup creates a JSON file containing the current job, saved jobs, stock, and measurement setting. Keep that file somewhere you can find it. To move to another browser or device, open the same planner website and use Import backup. Read the import confirmation: the on-screen job is replaced, and existing saved jobs and stock with matching IDs are kept.

Choose CSV or print-to-PDF

Generate the job to enable exports. Export CSV downloads a spreadsheet with Order, Cuts, Layout, Stock, and Offcut sections. Order totals tell you what to buy; Cuts totals tell you what finished pieces are needed. Layout rows map cuts to board or sheet numbers, while Stock and Offcut rows describe individual pieces of stock.

When a Layout row lists several board numbers, its Quantity totals the entire group. The Notes column gives the per-board quantity and how many times to repeat the pattern. Read Material and Board / sheet together; numbering belongs to each material. Add physical labels to the stock as shown in the lumber example.

Print / PDF opens your browser's print dialog with the order list, cut list, and diagrams. On a Mac, choose the PDF destination or Save as PDF option offered by the print dialog. This is the web planner's PDF route, rather than a separate direct PDF download. Review the preview and orientation before saving.

Resolve common planning problems

A required cut does not fit

Check the measurement format, selected stock lengths, and blade kerf. A finished piece may be shorter than the stock but still leave too little room for the separating cut. For sheets, check width and length, rotation, and whether the allowance setting matches measured stock. Two exact 48-inch lengths do not fit a 96-inch board with a nonzero kerf between them.

The sheet pattern changes when rotation is off

Rotation is a constraint, not just a display preference. Disable it when grain or face direction must stay consistent. Long-run splitting divides the requested length into equal pieces for butt joints; it is not a way to produce a seamless oversized part. Support and joint design remain part of your project.

My saved job is missing

Check that you are using the same browser, browser profile, device, and website address where you saved it. If those changed, import a JSON backup. The planner has no server copy to recover after local website data is deleted.

A larger job will not generate

The web planner allows up to 20 materials, up to 500 linear cuts per material, and up to 200 finished sheet pieces including split runs. Reduce or separate a job that exceeds these limits. Planning searches are bounded; a valid result is not a promise of the global minimum waste or cost.

Need help with a specific result?

Email support@handsbuiltsoftware.com with your browser and device, measurement format, stock dimensions, kerf, required cuts, and the result you expected. A screenshot of the layout is useful. Remove private job or customer details before sharing files. For app questions, use iPhone and iPad support.